Adopted
Update
10/25/07:
You can read all
about Holly, below… but we wanted to add one more detail. We think she would
make a great therapy dog! Her foster dad had a physical therapy date today, and
Holly got to go into the clinic with him. She had a great time lying around
watching, but she also visited with the patients as they were having various
therapies. Everyone loved her, and the staff said she’s welcome to come back
anytime. She might have a calling!
Update 10/21/07:
Now that Holly’s puppies have
grown big enough to find their new families, it’s time to focus on their sweet
mother. It’s been a little over six weeks since Holly weaned her pups and moved
to a new foster home. She came to us with a tattered coat (nursing pups really
takes its toll!) and still not much experience being an inside dog. Thanks to
high- quality food, a daily dose of 3V capsules, weekly baths with a soothing
shampoo, and plenty of exercise, her coat is slowly regaining its pre-puppy
length and luster.
As for housebreaking, she’s been a quick study. She’s now so well trained that
she won’t potty on leash! Her foster dad takes her to work with him in downtown
Austin every day (she loves riding in the car), and they walk to a park two or
three times a day, but Holly will not soil the Austin landscape. Nope, she waits
until she gets home—and then bolts for the back door!!
Holly is a well-mannered houseguest. No counter surfing, begging at the table,
or other unladylike behaviors. Somewhere along the line she did mdesperately craved when she first arrived here. Friendly with everyone who comes
into her foster dad’s office, she saunters over and lies beside visitors,
waiting for the pats and loving she knows will come. They don’t disappoint!
An active family who will include her in their outings would be perfect for
Holly. Walking and jogging are a favorite activities. Including her walks
through downtown Austin, Holly goes for walks several times a day, and—if she
makes it home from the office in time—she enjoys evening jogs (for 3+ miles)
with her foster mom and three foster siblings. She finds her spot in the pack
and toddles along; she understands pacing and knows she must ignore approaching
dogs or those that bark from behind fences. Good girl!! And remember: no need
for potty bags with Holly!!
The idea of play was a foreign concept to Holly at first, but she’s discovered
how much fun tennis balls and toys can be, and that sharing her “prizes” with
the other dogs encourages them to play with her. She’s experimenting with
retrieving, too. It’s quite entertaining to watch her twirling about, tennis
ball in mouth, tossing it in the air and wanting us to notice. She lets us take
the ball and waits patiently for it to be tossed her way. She wanted me to
report that she’s a good catcher! If there’s a towel on the floor and she wants
some attention, she’ll pick it up and carry it around. A more light-hearted,
playful personality is starting to emerge—and that’s wonderful to see.
As for cats and squirrels, her first impulse is to chase them. But she was so
easy to train in other areas that someone with a little patience could easily
teach her to coexist with a cat.
Holly has evolved into a loving, playful Golden who soaks up attention and
thrives on routine. She truly has the gentle heart and spirit that we all look
for in a Golden Retriever.
Holly
...
Four-year-old Holly came to GRR near the end of June, when
her owners could no longer care for her. They knew she had an underactive
thyroid and commented that she was “a bit fat,” but when our volunteer went to
meet her… “Er… I don’t think it’s just low thyroid that is making this girl look
like a beach ball! I think she’s pregnant.” Bingo! In fact, Holly was not spayed
and had been sharing her yard with a male Golden who wasn’t neutered… and, well,
you can guess the rest. We whisked her into care and off to the vet, where an
X-ray confirmed that a Blessed Event was indeed in the offing—and very soon,
too.